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Hi Glen
I bought my kids (7 and 9) a cheap Celestron Powerseeker 50AZ that Bintel had going for $99 at the end of last year.
Like you, I chose this over the tabletop reflectors because of things like collimation. Even as an adult I think that's too much to do, so for a kid I figured they just want to setup and get going.
My daughter liked it for a few hours on the the first night they used it, then turned her back and watched Netflix. My son still loves it and can set it up blindfolded now. It's great for looking at the moon, and if you're in dark skies, you'll see more than you thought you'd be able to.
The only thing that's not great is the tripod. It moves around a lot and if you've got some time and woodworking skills, I'd suggest making one to replace or enhance the supplied version.
The plan was to buy something cheap initially and then get into something pricier later on if they show an interest. He'll likely inherit my 80ED in a few months when I upgrade to a bigger 'frac.
Cheers
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